Patricia Shepherd
Executive Director
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Pottstown Cluster of Religious Communities Announces Patricia Shepherd as Executive Director, Signaling New Era of Growth and Community Impact

POTTSTOWN, PA, April 22, 2026 — The Board of Directors of the Pottstown Cluster of Religious Communities announces the appointment of Patricia Shepherd, former Food Service Director as Executive Director, marking a step forward as the organization expands its reach, strengthens partnerships, and deepens its impact across the greater Pottstown community and Montgomery County. Shepherd has served as Interim Executive Director since November 2025.

“Patricia brings not only operational expertise but a clear vision for how we can grow our partnerships and broaden our impact,” said Board President Carla Clanagan.

Shepherd’s appointment follows her tenure as a key contributor to the organization’s food service operations and as a member of the management team. During this time, she helped lead food service and operational initiatives amongst increasing demand for services. Her leadership has already contributed to improved efficiency, expanded outreach, and stronger collaboration with local partners.

“I am honored to step into this role at such an important time for the organization and the community we serve,” said Shepherd. “Every day, we see both the challenges and the possibilities in our community. The Pottstown Cluster is uniquely positioned to bring people together to create lasting solutions. My focus is on strengthening those connections, growing our programs, and ensuring we continue to meet evolving community needs with compassion and innovation.”

For more than 50 years, the Pottstown Cluster has supported individuals and families facing food insecurity, housing instability, and other basic needs, and continues to advance their work through collaboration, strategic growth, and community-driven solutions.

In 2025, the Pottstown Cluster served 14,515 households through its Pottstown-based food pantry, distributed more than 594,812 pounds of food through pantry services, community meals, and support for smaller local food pantries across Montgomery County. In addition to these efforts, the organization also helped 70 low-income older adults remain in or transition into safe, affordable housing.

Looking ahead, the Pottstown Cluster plans to expand partnerships, strengthen programs, and increase access to essential services so more people can achieve stability and thrive. To learn more, explore partnership opportunities, or to support the mission, visit pottstowncluster.org or contact Patricia Shepherd at pshepherd@pottstowncluster.org.

About the Pottstown Cluster of Religious Communities

The Pottstown Cluster of Religious Communities is a nonprofit organization dedicated to addressing food insecurity, housing instability, and basic needs in the greater Pottstown area. Through collaboration with local partners, the Pottstown Cluster works to build a stronger, healthier, and more resilient community.

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You are invited to join us for a FREE community health fair, a wonderful opportunity to connect with others and learn more about taking care of your health. This exciting event will take place on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m., at the Salvation Army Pottstown Parking Lot, located at 137 King Street, 19464.

Join us for an afternoon filled with a variety of snacks, engaging resources, and fun activities for all ages. It’s a fantastic chance to gather valuable health information while enjoying a fun atmosphere with your community.

Don’t worry about the weather, as we have a rain date scheduled for May 22 to ensure everyone can attend. This event is proudly hosted by CHOP, the Salvation Army Pottstown, and the Pottstown Cluster of Religious Communities. We look forward to welcoming you and your family! Mark your calendars and spread the word—we can’t wait to see you there!

EVENT UPDATE: The scheduled Pottstown Community Celebration of The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. program brought to you by Communities of Faith in Pottstown will be held as planned on Sunday, January 19 for anyone able to attend safely. It will also be live-streamed here beginning at 4 p.m.: https://events.locallive.tv/events/167017

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This past year has been filled with service and challenges. We celebrate our ability to help many people, including a 77-year-old veteran whose eviction we prevented with your support. Our food pantry has seen a rise in demand, serving over 300 more individuals in October than in September, while grant funding has decreased. We faced significant cuts in housing funding, leading to reduced staff and increased financial strain on our food services. Despite these challenges, our dedicated volunteers and staff keep operations running. We ask for your end-of-year contributions to help us continue our mission. We welcome inquiries and visits, and we are here to support those facing food insecurity or housing instability.

READ MORE HERE

Giving and Gratitude Q & A: Highlighting Pottstown Cluster with Executive Director Jacqui Good

This November, our Giving and Gratitude segment shines a light on Pottstown Cluster, one of our partner organizations that truly embodies the spirit of giving. We sat down with Jacqui Good from Pottstown Cluster to learn more about their mission and the vital role of community support.

Q. What does “giving” mean to Pottstown Cluster, and how does it shape your mission and daily work?
A. Giving to Pottstown Cluster means partnering with donors and volunteers to serve our community. Our mission is to help meet basic needs like food security and housing stability. We serve as stewards of resources in order to help as many people as possible. In 2023, we served more than 17,000 people from the food pantry alone. We benefit from a wide variety of resources to meet those needs that includes funding and gifts-in-kind, from individuals, organizations, and funders.

Q. What roles does community support play in your organization’s ability to provide for those in need?
A. Community support is imperative to our work. We draw-on support from large nonprofits like Philabundance and Share, foundations, individual donors, other community groups, and volunteers. The absence of any of these sources could result in reduced services. It takes support from all of these sources to meet the needs of those depending on us.

Q. How do you express gratitude to the volunteers and donors who make your work possible?
A. We show our appreciation to donors through various forms of communication, including acknowledgment letters, handwritten notes, phone calls, and email messages. We also keep them informed and engaged through annual appeal letters with program updates, social media posts, participation in community groups, and speaking engagements.

Q. What are some ways people can give back to Pottstown Cluster during the holiday season, even if they aren’t able to make a financial decision?
A. Even if individuals and organizations are not able to make a financial donation, it helps our work to send people to our website and talk about our work.

Q. How has the generosity of the community helped shape your organization’s future plans or upcoming initiatives?
A. In nearly every case when we have reached-out on social media and the website and asked for donations, there has been a response, and we are grateful.

Thank you, Pottstown Cluster, for demonstrating the true spirit of giving and gratitude through this Q&A.